Articulated locomotive frame



Jurie v 12, 1951' J. N. GREEN ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVE FRAME s Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. "4, '1946 Inventor JAMES NELSON GREEN June 12, 1951 J, GREEN 2,556,914

' ARTICULATED ocomo'rlv'a FRAME Filed Feb. 4, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor June 12, .1951

Filed-Feb. 4,1946

.J. N. GREEN 'ARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVE FRAME s Sheets-Sheet s Inventor ms NELSON GREE J By fl. Attorney Patented June 12, 1951.

IT ED Am iciJLArEn LOCOMOTiVE FRAME J amesN elson Green, Copper Cliff; Ontario, Canada Application February 4, 1946, Serial Nd. 6 15,38 6

(o1. ita -1'75) 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to an articulated vehicle and appertains particularly to'an electric locomotive or the like though applicable to cars and other types of rolling stock mounted on a plurality of trucks so coupled as to freely negotiate sharper or more acute continuous and reverse curves;

An object of the invention of this application, which is a continuation in part of my pending applicationNo. 582,821, filed March 15, 1945, ma turing in Patent No. 2502;004, March 28, 1950, is to provide a unit of railway rolling stock with a plurality of freely and independently swivelling supportingtrucks, whoseadjacent ends are linkcoupled in a novel way to tak up draft and compressive' forces and resiliently dam-pen vertical displacement.

A further object ofthe invention istoprovide an articulated electric locomotive or the like wherein two or more pairs of trucks; are linkcoupled in this novel manner, with at least twoseparate intermediate platforms resting on different pairs of trucks and the locomotive body mounted in turn onsuch intermediate platforms.

A further object of; the invention is to provide an articulated electric locomotive or like unit of railway l-Ollillg stock supported onat least two tandem pairs of trucks, all of which are linkcoupled in the novel manner aforesaid wherein provision is made-to allow agreater lateral movement of the adjacent ends of the inner or adjoin ing trucks of the respective tandem pairs, relative to the supported superstructure.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a link-coupled type of truck for an articulated unit of railway rolling stock provided with an improved braking system comprising a pair of individually operated brake shoes for each wheel.

A still further object of the'invention is to produce a railway truck with a novel design of frame structure'providing for transverse platforms near opposite ends thereof to support improved brake mechanism for each individual wheel.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an'articulated electric locomotive with improved traction and braking characteristics, enhanced roadability especially as regards negotiating curved sections of track and better allround performance.

To the accomplishment of these and relatedobjects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds"; the invention" resides in the con-' struction', combination and arrangement of parts as shall be liereinaftermore fully described, mus: tra-ted'intlie accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto-appended.

The invention will behest-understood and can be" more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming'a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like" parts" throughout the several views;

In the drawings": 4

Figure I is a side elevation of a possible embodi' ment of my invention applied to= afour truck electric-locomotive;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof negotiating a curved section of track;

Figure 3 is=an enlarged side'elevation' of one of the trucks;

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 5 is a further enlarged schematic end elevation: of oneof thatrucks Figure 6 isadetail side elevation-of the plat formproviding inner frame membersof the truck; and

Figure '7' is-an enlarged detail=of one of the platform carried brake'cylinders;

Figure 8'- is a plan view showing the loose type ofcrown castings employed between theintermediate-platforms: and the superstructure frame;

Figure 8 a-isa sectional elevation of the device of Figure- 8.

In the instant disclosure of theinvention the locomotive cab I is shown as mounted on a sup porting structureconsisting of four link-coupled trucks; 2-, 3, 4; 5. :Dhe linkage between trucks 2-3, 3-4', andQ-E isthe same in-each case ex ceptasregards theprovision for greater transverse movement of the connection-- betweentrucks 3 and 4 with respect to the cab or superstructureto; which aconnection from the linkage extends; The outer ends'oftrucksZ-and- 5-areprovided with the;usual draw bar couplingsm Thecompositionof the trucks per se is the same'in each-case they comprise a main framelhaving side members; 1aand end transoms 'E-b' and agentral bolster 8 carryin the truck pivot 9 in theform or a: concave or female crowncasting;- A- pair ofwheeledaxles l-0- are journalledin journal boxes H- vertically movable in pedestal ways 1c formed in the frame side members la. A pair of equalizer bars l2 rest at their ends on the journal boxes ll outside the frame I and another pair of equalizers I4 are similarly carried on the inner side of the frame, between them through the medium of compressed coil spring assemblies I5 they serve to support the main frame 1. The inner pair of equalizers l4 however are connected near each end by a transverse horizontal platform I6 overlying the wheels. On opposite sides of each platform is a cylinder l1 suitably supplied with air pressure and in each cylinder is a pair of confronting pistons I8 Whose plunger stems l9 extend out opposite ends to connect with an upstanding lever 20 pivoted on a pin 2! extending inwardly from the adjacent inner equalizer M. A wheelengageable brake shoe 22 is carried on the lower end of each lever 20. Thus on the feeding of pressure to the cylinder H, a pair of brake shoes 22 move one against each of the opposite sides of each wheel. I have shown the platforms l6 as having a notch or cut-out 23 near each corner to pass the brake levers 20.

In carrying out the articulation of this locomotive under carriage beyond the limits attainable by that disclosed in my co-pending application hereinbefore identified, I mount an intermediate platform 24 on the trucks 2 and 3 by affixing a male crown casting 25 on the underside, near each end, for reception by the female crown casting or truck pivot 9. A similar intermediate platform 26 with male crown castings 21 likewise surmounts the other pair of trucks 4 and 5. Centrally on their upperside each of the intermediate platforms 24 and 26 has a loosetype female crown casting 28 there afiixed that respectively receive the male crown castings 29 mounted on the underside of the locomotive body or superstructure frame I, that are permitted some longitudinal sliding movement by the elongated form of the female sockets. There is this difference, however, between the co-opcrating female and male crown castings 9 and 25 and 9 and 2'! respectively on the one hand and female and male crown castings Z8 and 29 in that the latter are of sufiicient proportions to allow the cab or superstructure merely to clear the intermediate platforms in turning whereas in the former sets there must be sufidcient elevation afforded to support the intermediate platforms 24 and 26 well above the brake-operating cylinders I! carried on the transverse equalizer platforms I6, this being provided for in the present instance by the substantial build-up or elongation of the male crown castings 25 and 21 on the underside and near the ends of the intermediate plates or platforms 24 and 26 respectively.

To allow the several trucks 2, 3, 4 and 5 to swivel freely beneath the intermediate platforms 24 and 26 on which the cab or superstructure I is mounted while yet permitting no relative longitudinal movement between the fitted crown casting pivot points 9, a coupling link 30 connects together the specially formed confronting ends of each of the pairs of trucks 23, 34, and 4-5. The special coupling end 3| is in the nature of a supplementary frame mounted on the outer side of the end transom 1b of the truck frame and includes a cross member 32 spaced from the end of the truck and formed as the arc of a circle described with the truck pivot or crown casting as centre. The coupling link 30, that directly connects a pair of trucks .4 so that draft strains are transferred in a straight line in a horizontal plane through the draft gear is held against transverse or lateral movement as the trucks swivel by a supporting connection 33 from the intermediate platform 24 in the case of the coupling between trucks 2 and 3, the bottom of the cab l in the case of that between trucks 3 and 4, and the intermediate platform 26 in the case of that between trucks 4 and 5. In each instance coil springs 34 occur on the support both above and below the link to dampen any vertical movement thereof. The couplin link 30 carries a longitudinally separated pair of roller members 35 allowed oscillation on their transverse horizontal axis that have each a square and slightly arced passageway for the accommodation of one of the arced end cross members 32 that are permitted to slide freely therethrough.

Because this instant structure involving the intermediate platforms pivoting under the cab ends and beneath which the respective pairs of trucks in turn are pivoted enables the unit to negotiate sharper curves of track than theretofore, it will be noticed, on reference to Figure 2, how the ends of the centre pair of trucks 3 and 3 appear'to have passed outwardly beyond the centre point of the cab. To care for this and so as not to restrict the turning radius other than to that over which the trucks are capable of passing, since the point of attaching the link support 33 is fixed, the arcuate cross members of the supplementary frames 3| of the confronting ends of trucks 3 and 4 are given added width, to extend outwardly beyond the sides of the truck frames 1 as needed and are designated 32a.

In use, it will be seen that this improved design of articulated locomotive, enabling the employment of four specially coupled trucks, with highriding intermediate pivot platforms and the providing of a separate brake cylinder and pair of brake shoes for each wheel allows of the production of a more powerful driving and braking unit yet capable of operating over sharper curves of track.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will manifest that an articulated vehicle is provided that will fulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device, but as many changes pendent trucks arranged as two pairs, coupling links connecting adjacent ends of said trucks, a pair of intermediate platforms each pivotally supported at its ends over each pair of trucks, a cab superstructure pivotally mounted near its ends on said intermediate platforms and vertical movement-dampening supports for said coupling links holding the same against lateral or transverse movement mounted on the underside of the respective intermediate platforms in the case of the coupling links between the first and second and the third and fourth trucks and on the underside of the cab superstructure in the case of the coupling link between the second and third trucks.

2. In combination with the structure set forth in claim 3, supplementary end frames on said trucks having cross members formed as arcs described with' the truck pivot point as a centre, said arced cross members having sliding engagement in said coupling links; the arced cross members for the inner or confronting ends of the second and third trucks being wider than the others and carried out beyond the sides of the supporting trucks.

JAMES NELSON GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Date v 

